Ten Stops
by TheArtistPirate
Summary: Nico, Reyna and Coach Hedge need to get back to New York. As they go back, they learn a lot about each other. Reyna and Nico friendship. Written after House of Hades.
1. Greece

**I finished reading House of Hades and all I could think of was, "Why didn't Uncle Rick give Reyna a bigger part in the story?" That and, "Seriously Nico? SERIOUSLY?" Therefore, I decided to combine both characters in one story. I am planning other stories as well, a Calleo fic, probably something Percabeth related, a Frank maybe Frazel story and Reyna's journey to Greece. Which story would you guys like first? That way I can flesh things out and you guys won't have to wait in between chapter's for too long. :)**

**Notes before you start reading: the Reyna flashback is from when she was on the pirate's ship. In my other story, "Our Story", her past is explained. I don't really think you need to know much, but if you want a better explanation, look at the chapter titled, "In Which Many Bad Things Occur". **

**Anyway, enough of my rambling. Enjoy the story!**

**Chapter One**

Reyna was stressed. As Praetor, she was used to being stressed, but it was different this time. This time she had broken ancient laws. This time she had killed her Pegasus, Scipio. This time the fate of her camp, and the world, rested on her shoulders.

And it didn't help that she had to travel back to New York with the help of the son of death and a _faun_. She understood that she shouldn't let her personal preferences interfere with the fate of the world, but really? Why would the fates tempt her like that? She had been suspicious of Nico since the day he came to camp, but had said nothing so as to not offend anybody. And don't get her started on fauns. Normally, she would have nothing to do with them.

Of course, this time it wasn't normal.

Reyna splashed some cool water onto her face to refresh her mind. She had been on the Argo II for two days now, and she was to leave in an hour. The seven treated her well enough. Reyna often spoke to Annabeth, exchanging contingency plans and making fun of Percy. She spoke to Frank, giving him quick how-to-be-a-praetor lessons whenever she could. Not that he needed them. Reyna was surprised to find herself in awe of the son of Mars' skills. She had no doubt that he would be a great Praetor.

Every now and then she would pass Valdez. Reyna understood that it wasn't his fault. He was possessed by eidolons. Yeah, yeah. She got that. But it didn't change how protective she felt over Camp Jupiter. She may have forgiven him, but she still harbored some unresolved hatred toward him.

But she wasn't hard on him. He had that look. He tried to hide it sometimes, but often he let down his guard. Reyna understood what he felt. Heartbreak. She wondered how it happened. She even thought of asking, but she figured it wasn't her place.

"Reyna, everyone is ready!" Annabeth called, tapping on the bathroom door. Reyna took a deep breath and shouted back, "I'll be there in a few minutes." She stared at her reflection in the mirror for a moment, regarding her dark demeanor. Droplets of water reflected off of her pale skin and her large bloodshot eyes were darkened by the dark bags under her eyes. Her heavy eyebrows seemed sterner than usual and she had a scar on her left temple from a stupid quest Hercules had given her on the way to Greece. She was a mess, and she knew it. Wiping her face with a towel, she tucked her hair quickly into a French braid. After straightening out her shirt and jeans and securing her dagger in its sheath, she left the bathroom.

When she reached the deck, she realized that she was the last one. The faun was standing anxiously at the center, warning Percy and Annabeth not to "sneak off in the middle of the night anymore" and shouting at Frank "to stop being a cupcake".

Nico was standing next to his sister, holding her hand and whispering something to her. She nodded and smiled, giving him a quick hug and a kiss on his forehead. Reyna's heart clenched as she saw the scene.

...

_"Reyna, don't worry, Lupa will take care of you." Hylla said, stroking young Reyna's hair._

_"But I don't want you to leave, what if they find me again?" Reyna said, her bottom lip quivering as she thought of the ugly men on the ship. _

_"Don't worry, they won't bother you anymore." Hylla wrapped Reyna into a tight hug, "I took care of them."_

_Reyna nodded, remembering how her sister had threw open the closet door, blood dripping from one of the pirate's rapiers. She had a wild look in her eyes as she maneuvered Reyna through the abandoned ship toward a lifeboat. _

_"Will you visit me?" Reyna murmured into her sister's embrace. _

_"Of course I will."_

_..._

But she hadn't. Not until a month ago when Hylla had helped her fight the giants along with the other Amazons. Even then, her sister had stayed for only a night before she had to leave again.

Reyna looked around her once again and realized that everyone was assembling for them to leave. Reyna quickly followed behind the rest as they walked toward the statue of Minerva. As Reyna trailed behind, she noted with distaste that Jason had an arm around Piper. Not that she was jealous of course. She was Praetor. She was composed.

"Maybe you guys should stay a day longer, to rest." Percy said when they had come to a stop. His eyes wide with worry as he regarded the terrible conditions of Nico the faun and herself. Despite their appearances, Reyna marveled at how aptly he was nicknamed "Seaweed Brain". Who would even consider staying a day longer? In her books, they were already two days late. The camps could be at war already and they wouldn't know.

Before she got a chance to say anything, Nico answered, "No. We have to leave now."

"Are you sure…" Percy started forward and Nico became visibly tenser.

"Yes." Taking a step back toward the statue, he reached his hands out. "Ready Coach? Reyna?"

Reyna nodded and slipped her fingers into the son of Pluto—sorry, Hades' hand. It was surprisingly cold, as if every shiver in the world had been collected into his bony fingers. Nico took a deep breath, and without wasting another moment, the world became black.

Reyna's heart dropped as her sight vanished. Not because of the discomfort. Not even because of her impending task. No, it was because no one had said good-bye to her.


	2. Austria

**Hello everyone! So I got enough reviews, so I think I will continue with this story. After the second chapter, I've warmed up to it a bit more. I think I like the Nico-Reyna friendship dynamics. What do you guys think? Right, so you know the drill. Read, Review, and wait until this lazy author decides to update again. :)**

**Happy reading!**

**Chapter Two**

Reyna had never felt so blind. She kept blinking, hoping that at some moment, her eyes would open to light, but she was continuously welcomed by shadows. What bothered her the most wasn't that it was just dark. It was _black_. Everything was black. It was like a void that allowed no light to seep through its cracks. She was already becoming light-headed and Reyna didn't know how much longer she could wait before she threw up. Just as she thought that she would never see daylight again, Reyna's gaze was rewarded with a soft afternoon glow that blinded her as it bounced off of the snow.

With a startled shout, Reyna felt herself fall forward, face first into a thick pile of fluffy snow. As she managed to sit upright, she wondered how she fell to begin with, and to her surprise she found that she was gripping Nico's hand as tightly as she could. Nico had collapsed upon reaching and his insignificant weight managed to bring her down with him.

Releasing Nico's hand, Reyna uncertainly stood up, rubbing her forearms as she did. "You okay cupcake?" The faun demanded as he pawed through his backpack. _Probably to make sure he still has his favorite baseball bat, _Reyna thought to herself. Although the faun wasn't looking at her, Reyna nodded, gritting her teeth as she felt her nose begin to burn because of the cold. She looked at Nico's figure, which was awkwardly sprawled in the snow.

"Maybe we should start a fire or something." Reyna decided, realizing that Nico wasn't in any condition to shadow-travel again.

"Thank the gods!" She heard the faun breathe.

"Excuse me?" She said. His behind was covered in fur. She really didn't think that he should have a problem with the cold.

"Nothing." He said quickly. "I'll go get some firewood."

Before Reyna could say anything, the faun trotted down the snowy hill into a line of trees. Reyna just stood there and blinked once before deciding to set up some sort of camp.

She began by grabbing Nico under his arms, and dragging him toward the statue. Under the crook of Minerva's neck, she laid him against the statue and sat across from his sleeping figure. Then she began to look through her own backpack. She had matches, a dagger, some food, some water, an extra set of clothes, a blanket… a blanket?

She pulled the blanket out of the bag and wrapped herself, rejoicing in the newfound warmth. As she rubbed her hands together, she thought of the faun. Something at the back her mind told her that the faun was acting suspiciously.

_Maybe he was just worried_, she thought. He had helped the seven; he was their caretaker for the trip. _It's probably nothing. You're just imagining things_; she scolded herself, putting an end to the matter.

She looked around, shading her eyes from the glare of the snow. It was obvious that they were somewhere in Europe, although where, she couldn't pinpoint. It was November and winter had definitely settled in. There didn't seem to be any people nearby, so she didn't have to worry about trying to disguise herself and the statue. She had no doubt that the mist would cover it up, but with the size of the statue, people would easily believe she was the sole survivor of a plane crash.

No, not the sole survivor. Her gaze landed on Nico, who was whistling eerily in his sleep. Why did this kid make her feel uncomfortable? His obvious inability to interact with others was shown through his moodiness and he evidently revered in the power of being a child of the underworld. He was gloomy and creepy and—just a little boy.

It was with a strange sort of realization that it dawned on Reyna that Nico was only fourteen years old. A solid four years younger than her.

Nico's overgrown hair hung limp over his frosted lashes and his bottom lip quivered in the cold. But his face seemed… peaceful. Like most demigods, he should have been tossing and turning in his nightmare plagued sleep, but Nico was deathly still. The exhaustion must have knocked him out so bad that he didn't even have the energy to dream.

His face was line-free, his brows relaxed and his mouth opened a little, blowing out puffs of white air. Noticing that his demeanor was slowly turning blue, Reyna sighed, her protective instincts taking over. She stood up and pulled the blanket off of her and tucked it onto Nico.

Immediately feeling the repercussions of her act, Reyna sat back down on her spot and blew into her chilly hands, wishing with all her might that the faun would come back with some wood soon.

…

Nico's eyes snapped open and he knew he wasn't in Greece anymore. He was curled up under the Athena Parthenon surrounded by tons and tons of snow. Gazing to the left, he noticed Reyna hugging herself, her knees jittering as she mumbled curses in Latin. It took him a moment to wonder why he didn't feel as cold as she looked.

Then he felt the scratchy wool that had been tucked around him. For a moment he thought of Bianca—every night at the Lotus Hotel, she would tuck him into bed. Immediately he looked back at Reyna. It was obvious that she had given him the blanket, since he couldn't hear the Coach's yelling nearby. What he couldn't figure out was why she had given him the blanket when she needed it more?

"Don't like the cold?" Nico heard himself asking before he could stop himself. He couldn't have small talk with the Praetor of Rome, Nico reprimanded himself. Especially since she disliked him [well, he assumed that everyone dislike him]. Plus she was the Praetor. If there was anything that Nico was afraid of, it was people like her. Powerful, strong, independent. The opposite of himself.

Reyna turned to him, surprised yet relieved that he had woken up. "Yeah. I grew up in warm places. Puerto Rico, Circe's Island, California."

"So you haven't seen snow before?"

"I've seen snow. I've never been in it. And I must say, I don't really enjoy it." Reyna breathed shakily. Nico smiled knowingly and took off the blanket she had given him. He tossed it over to her and a startled look overcame her face.

"Take it." Nico said, "I'm used to cold places."

Reyna looked like she was going to protest, but a sudden breeze seemed to make up her mind. Taking the blanket, she wrapped it around her body and snuggled into it, sighing. Nico could have sworn he heard the Praetor say "Thank you", but it was cut off by a boisterous "I'm here! Did you see any monster's while I was gone?"

The satyr climbed back up the hill, some wood tucked under his arm. Nico was about to respond with a "no" when he stopped himself. He was asleep, maybe Reyna had had to fight an army of monsters while he was unconscious. He glanced at her and saw her staring back at him, her eyebrows pinched together. "Nico, don't be so hard on yourself. That is what I'm here for. To fight monsters while you rest."

_Damn it_! Nico thought. That Praetor could see right through him.

"As Praetors we are taught to judge our people's emotions." Reyna said as if she could really read his thoughts.

Immediately Nico thought of something ridiculous: monkeys on a rainbow unicycle. No way could she guess what he was thinking.

"Stop thinking of something stupid. Does it have to do with monkeys? For some reason it always has to do with monkeys." She said, a hint of a smug smile on her lips.

"She's scary, isn't she cupcake?" The coach said, dropping the wood in the snow. "Now stop sitting on your butts and help me make this fire."


	3. Germany

**Hey guys! Wow, it's been a while. I apologize profusely and in return I gift to you another chapter! I don't know how much of you watch Once Upon a Time (I love that show!), but they do this thing where they flash back a lot and everything hurts but makes sense and you want to just hug a pillow and cry. I thought I would try something like that. Review and let me know what you think!**

**Chapter Three**

Reyna was glad when they had decided to leave the snowy hill. The fire that they had built hadn't lasted very long, and radiated almost no heat. After staying the night, Nico had assured them that he was ready to shadow travel again. Reyna knew he wasn't but didn't argue. The longer they stayed in one place the bigger the chance that they would be discovered by monsters.

And so, they had left that morning. Now, as Reyna was embraced by a cloak of blackness, she chuckled darkly at the fact that their last destination was colder than shadow traveling. Still, the tidbit of irony didn't distract her from the discomfort she felt. The claustrophobia was overwhelming. She felt like she was in an open meadow, yet at the same time, locked inside a small box. She could be everywhere and nowhere at the same time and needless to say, that bothered her.

Reyna tried to distract herself by strategizing. Her calculations had told her that they would only need to shadow travel eight times, assuming that everything went well. The thought soothed her. Perhaps they would get to Camp Half Blood in time and peace would be achieved. _How ironic that a daughter of war wishes for peace, _she thought to herself. But Reyna, more than anyone, knew that the purpose of war is peace. Warfare is a necessary evil. As a daughter of Bellona, Reyna had learned that war was about saving your country, keeping your soldiers safe, celebrating when the bloodshed was done and mourning those who were lost.

Suddenly, Reyna stumbled forward as her feet felt the earth beneath her. She exhaled quickly, catching sight of her surroundings. Once again, they had landed on a hill, but this time it was covered in grass and in the distance she could see the outline of a majestic stone castle by the mountains. A chilly wind breezed past her, but Reyna welcomed the fresh air. While it was cold, it wasn't as cold as the last place.

"Wher…" Reyna turned to see Nico swaying on his feet behind her. His head was in his hands and he looked like death.

"Oh my Gods!" Reyna breathed, realizing that Nico was about fall over. Before she could do anything, Nico collapsed with a muffled "_Ungh_!" into the faun's arms. The faun threw Nico over his shoulder and turned to Reyna as if he were about to say something.

Without making eye contact, Reyna walked back to the statue and dropped her backpack to the ground. Reyna really did _not_ like fauns. Percy had said that Greek fauns were different, but she knew that wasn't true. Fauns were the same everywhere. All they were good for was groveling for food or money and making jokes. Still, she allowed herself to keep an open mind, considering she would be travelling with one for quite some time.

She sat down and turned to find the faun laying Nico down under the statue of Minerva so the sunlight wouldn't bother his closed eyes. After stretching his arms, the faun sat beside her and began rummaging through his bag. Finally, he brought out a can of soda from one hand. "Want some? Shadow travelling makes me hungry."

Reyna scrunched her eyebrows together and shook her head. The faun raised his eyebrows and bit off the top of the can, chewing deliberately before taking a dainty sip of—was that Mountain Dew?—from the crushed can.

"So you're a daughter of bologna?" The faun said. Reyna rolled her eyes. If she had a nickel for every time she heard that… "Goddess of War, right? I love war, smashing stuff too."

"I don't smash stuff." Reyna said, slightly agitated by the faun's presence.

"But you _want_ to. Cupcake, listen, you can't lie to a satyr. We sense stuff. We know how you feel." The faun said before crushing the can between his palms and munching on it like a cookie.

"I don't feel anything." Reyna said, glaring at the faun. Fauns didn't have any sort of powers, not any that Reyna knew of. Maybe Greek fauns were different. She decided to keep an eye on this one, but still, who did this faun think he was? Reyna refused to have a heart to heart talk with _him_.

"Look, I'm still not sure exactly what a Praetor is, but it seems like hard work. I hear there's a lot of paperwork involved, blech! And what you did with Scipio, that took guts kid. I know you loved the guy, but it was for the best." He punched her shoulder lightly, "I'm proud of you."

Reyna's breath caught in her chest and she could feel all the tensions and fears boiling in her throat. _You cannot cry Reyna, don't you dare_. But it was all too much. Without even meaning to, her bottom lip quivered and tears began pouring down her face.

…

_His heart dropped when he heard Clarisse cry out. Turning swiftly he found the young girl on the ground, Oliver's head in her lap. Her face was beet red and she was shaking his shoulders violently, screaming at him to wake up. _

_Behind her, a Cyclops raised his fist and before Gleeson could figure out what was happening, he charged toward the Cyclops with newfound strength. Taking his bat, he jumped, and as if he were in a movie, time slowed down. From the corner of his eye he could see that Oliver was in bad shape, murmuring softly in his half-dead state, and Clarisse was too terrified to fight. Besides the Cyclops he was about to pulverize, there was one more. He had to save them. _

_He brought down his bat, directly in the eye of the Cyclops and heard it wail out. While it was distracted, he grabbed Oliver's fallen weapon and stabbed it in the stomach. Then he turned to the other monster. _

_It was over so quickly, Gleeson wondered why he hadn't fought like that before. But as he set eyes on the two children, he knew. _

_As fast as he could, Gleeson ran toward Clarisse, who was frantically trying to pump some life back into Oliver's body. Gleeson touched his wrist and found that there was still a soft heartbeat. _

_"Don't worry kid, we can do this. Okay?" Clarisse sniffled and rubbed her eyes ferociously and nodded. Gleeson's heart swelled for the eight year old, but shook his head and went back to business. He put his hand above Oliver's heart and willed his nature healing powers to help him, but as he strained to help him, the boy's heartbeat slowed down. _

_"Hey… Hedge?" Gleeson's eyes brimmed with tears as he heard the young boy's voice. _

_"Yeah cupcake? Stay with me, stay with us." He replied concentrating hard on saving the boys life. He could do it. He could. _

_"Th—thanks." He mumbled, his face beginning to lose its color. _

_"Thank me when I save your sorry little life. Don't you dare die on me. Don't you dare!" _

_"Th—thanks…for being the father I never had." Oliver wheezed before becoming deathly still. Gleeson closed his teary eyes and concentrated harder but he knew that he couldn't save him. He wasn't strong enough. When Oliver's heartbeat faded away, Gleeson leaned back, breathing hard. This wasn't how it was supposed to happen. _

_Good was supposed to triumph evil. Children weren't supposed to die. He was supposed to protect them. _

_"He's… he's…" Clarisse hiccupped next to him before bawling once again. Gleeson blinked several times before the ache in his heart turned into a sort of numbness. He put an arm around Clarisse's shaking body and patted her back. _

_"Don't worry." He repeated to her for the rest of the night. "Don't worry."_

…

Reyna sobbed into her hands when she felt someone tap her back. The faun? What could he possibly want? He had already made her cry, wasn't that enough?

"Hey kid, listen to me. You tried your best. You are still trying your best." Sniffling, Reyna looked up. The faun looked crushed, probably more upset than her.

Without meaning to, she replied, "Sometimes I can't handle all the pressure. Everything is my fault, and I don't know what to do."

"Take my advice, don't beat yourself up." The faun reached into his bag and brought out a bat. Smiling, he said, "Beat other stuff up."

Reyna shook her head as the faun took a bag of chips out of his backpack. Then, he handed her the bat. "Pretend that that bag of chips is cause of all your worries. What would you do?"

Kill it. Destroy it. Make it wish that it had never been born.

Before she could comprehend her actions, Reyna swung the bat down and she heard the satisfying _pop_ of the bag.

"That's what I call a swing! Do it again!" The faun cheered encouragingly. Reyna smiled slightly and wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. She swung the bat down. Again, again and again. _That was for Scipio. That was for Hylla. That was for every demigod that had to clean up their godly parent's mess._

With a final huff she swung the bat down so hard that she had to stop and catch her breath. _That was for me._

Reyna looked up expectantly at the faun and saw him laughing. Feeling lighter inside, as if all her worries had been taken away, she joined the faun. Together, their laughter chorused through the hills.

A soft gasp made Reyna and Coach Hedge stop laughing. They both turned to find Nico staring at the two of them, wide eyed. Slowly, as if he were dealing with a bomb, Nico said, "What in Hades is going on?"


	4. England

**Hi guys! Right... so I actually finished this chapter Friday, but hear me out! I like finishing the chapter, then waiting a day, and then rereading it. So, I reread it Saturday and I realized that I hated it. I'm sure you guys would have been okay with it, but I just couldn't bring myself to post it. Now, it is rewritten and much better than before. **

**Side note, I did some research and the arm is a real thing. It's weird, but real [in mythology], so I couldn't resist mentioning it. If you don't know what I am talking about, read the chapter!**

**Review time! [I haven't done this in this story yet, but I have now accumulated enough reviews to do so.]**

**KTD Lover: I love the idea of Reyna and Nico being friends too. I realized that there weren't many fanfictions about them as friends, so... ta da!**

**Guest1: Haha. The dynamics sure got interesting, and they will continue to do so!**

**XxNeonShadowsxX: Wow. I made someone cry? Gosh, I would say I'm sorry, but I'm not. Not that I don't care about your feelings, I really do. It's just means that I did something right. :D**

**djinfiend: I always thought that Coach Hedge was a flat character and I was like-wait, I can totally give him a terrible back story so that I can empathize with his snarky behavior! Yay!**

**Guest2: Thank you! You are so sweet! That comment made my day!**

**Everyone else: Thanks for the reviews! All of you are awesome and I love writing for you guys. I'll try to finish my next chapter as soon as possible. And if I didn't mention you this time around, I probably will next time. **

**Chapter Four**

"Well that wasn't so bad." Hedge exclaimed, sitting down and leaning against the tree trunk opposite from Reyna. "Nico didn't faint right away, even though he's knocked out like a sack of potatoes, and I'm not as hungry as last time." He crossed his hooves and smiled before rummaging through his backpack.

"I don't think that's an actual saying." Reyna smirked, "'Knocked out like a sack of potatoes?'"

"Sure it is!" Hedge huffed, taking his attention away from his backpack, "Us Satyrs use it all the time! I can't speak for your weaker species."

Reyna scowled back good-naturedly and turned to make sure that Nico was sleeping safely a couple feet away. "Nico _is_ getting better." She said.

"I guess, but this time he had more sleep." The Satyr pointed out.

"Not really," Reyna responded, "I doubt he could even wink without listening to your obnoxious laughing."

"Hey! You were the one telling the war jokes, cupcake, and I'm pretty sure you were laughing too! What kind of conceited jerk laughs at their own jokes?"

Before Reyna could retort, they heard a muffled annoyed groan come from Nico's direction. Restraining a smile, Reyna shushed Hedge. "Let him sleep."

Hedge rolled his eyes but stayed quiet nevertheless. He fingered his backpack strap for a while before turning back to Reyna to make fun of how rarely she was ever this quiet. That was when he noticed that she had fallen asleep too.

After a few moments, to make sure that she wasn't going to wake up soon, the Satyr stood up and left.

…

Reyna's eyes fluttered open and she noticed how quiet it was. Had Gleeson fallen asleep too? As she stretched her back she looked up to find that the satyr was nowhere to be seen. Blinking, Reyna craned her neck to see if he had hidden somewhere, but he was gone. Reyna stood up and looked at Nico's sleeping form. He hadn't moved so much as a hair and was lying where he had been from the start. Deciding that he wasn't going to wake up any time soon, Reyna began walking in the direction of the trampled leaves and snapped sticks.

After a few minutes, Reyna came to a small clearing near a river. She saw Hedge reaching into his backpack, facing away from the forest. _What was he doing?_

Reyna, being the straightforward type, immediately marched out from behind the trees. "What are you doing?" Reyna asked. At the sound of her voice, Hedge jumped a little and spun around, surprised at her entrance. He took a step back, holding his backpack to his chest, closer to the river behind him.

"I need to use the little Satyr's room." He said slowly and evenly, hoping that his voice wouldn't betray his guilt. Unfortunately for him, his reddening cheeks told a different story.

"With your backpack?" Reyna raised her eyebrows. The satyr looked down and blushed. "Well, I… ummm…"

"Look," Reyna began, using her calm Praetor voice, "I've noticed you sneaking off before, every time we stop no less. I didn't think anything of it, but this is getting suspicious. What are you sneaking off to do all the time?"

Sighing, Hedge dropped his backpack and began, "Look, I didn't want to say anything, but—"Suddenly, he stopped, cocking his head to the side as if he heard something.

"What?" Reyna said, irritated, placing her hands on her hips. "You can't just change the topic. That is not how an interrogation works."

"No, listen." He whispered, bending down to get his bat. Reyna was about to accuse him overreacting when a nerve at the back of her neck tingled slightly.

They weren't alone.

Slowly, Reyna drew her dagger and did a three sixty, scanning the forest behind her.

"Looking for something?" A male voice asked. Both Reyna and Gleeson turned around, but they saw nothing. A dark giggle sounded through the trees.

Coach Hedge, bat in hand, shouted, "Show yourself so I can break your face!"

"But we look so pretty." The deep voice purred, sending a shiver up Reyna's spine.

Under his breath, Hedge muttered, "Pretty creepy."

"We heard that." The voice sang, breaking into shrieks of laughter. "We were going to keep you as pets, but we realize now that we don't really like you," He paused, his voice became darker, "goat man."

"You got something against goats? Huh buddy? Come here, I'll stick this bat up your—"

"Wait, you'll just aggravate him more." Reyna said calmly, "Why don't you come out so we can talk this out." She asked the voice.

"Oh, we like you. Very… still. It's never still where we are. Always rushing, rushing, rushing…." Again the voice erupted into laughter, and Reyna wondered if talking was perhaps a bad idea. "We think we might keep you alive, dearie."

Suddenly, the river's water rushed upward, and fell on top of Hedge and Reyna. Reyna felt her dagger pull out of her hand and she saw Hedge's bat float away. Just as she thought that she couldn't hold her breath any longer, the river's water fell away.

Looking around her, Reyna saw seven strange creatures. Three were bulls with human faces and three were men with bull heads and serpant tails. The last one was an arm wriggling awkwardly on a jug.

The sight was one that Reyna had never seen before, and the only response she could give was blinking rapidly and internally cringing at the sight of the arm.

"I know these," Hedge coughed from behind her. "Potamoi, river gods. Piper and Jason faced one because of Hercules."

"How did they defeat him?" Reyna asked, eying them cautiously.

"There was only one, and Piper tricked him. I think Jason was unconscious. That kid gets knocked out a lot." Reyna almost smiled at the thought. She could remember seven instances off the top of her head where Jason had been knocked out. Shaking her head she thought of the situation at hand. Tricks? Reyna didn't know enough about Greek mythology to figure out the weakness of the Potamoi. She was Roman for Jupiter's sake!

Sighing, Reyna said, "I can't think of any tricks."

"Me neither."

"So, we fight?"

"Naturally."

Reyna grinned and leapt out from crouching position, punching the nearest man-headed bull. From the corner of her eye, she noticed Hedge fighting two of them simultaneously, delivering powerful kicks along with insults.

And so the fighting ensued, it was difficult considering that the river gods would giggle all the time, unnerving both Reyna and Hedge. It didn't help that the Potamoi had a certain control of the water.

Every so often, the arm on the jug would flinch and a tidal wave would push Reyna and Hedge to the ground, knocking the breath out of their lungs.

"How're you holding up cupcake?" Hedge shouted. He was ballistic and all over the place.

Reyna elbowed a bull-head and round-house kicked another. "I'm fine!" She gasped, but honestly, she was starting to get tired. Every time she kicked one Potamoi, he would get right back up. Since they were gods, it only made sense, but fatigue was beginning to drain Reyna. She estimated that she would hold up for a while longer, but how long could they fight for?

It all happened in a flash. A wave came once again, throwing Reyna to the ground. Lying on her back, the water receded. Then, she heard a sickening crunch. Pain shot up her arm and a yelp escaped her mouth.

Gleeson looked over, horror spread across his face. Reyna vaguely heard him shout, "No, this can't happen again!" between the ferocious giggles. Mentally pushing all the pain away, Reyna managed to shakily stand up before she felt someone kick her back once again.

Bursts of color clouded her vision but Reyna attempted to stand again. She was a daughter of war, she didn't lose.

Suddenly, the ground began to shake. Bewildered, gods and satyr alike stood still watching the ground beneath them. First a skeletal arm burst from the ground, grabbing one bull-man by the leg. Then another, and another. Within two minutes of shrieking and giggling, every river god [including the arm] had been pulled under the ground by a small army of skeletons.

"How in Hades did _that_ happen?" Hedge sputtered, looking around wildly. Reyna turned to the thick of green and saw Nico frowning, shaking his head. While Nico always looked somewhat upset, Reyna had never seen him look this angry.

"What?" She demanded, wincing as she tried to place her hands on her hips.

Nico narrowed his eyes as if he couldn't believe Reyna was even asking such a question. When Reyna stared back with the same amount of intensity, he said accusingly, "Why didn't anyone wake me up?"


	5. Iceland

**Hey Everyone! Wow, it has been, what? A month? I'm slacking and I apologize for that. BUT, I have a new chapter for you guys. Budding friendship and flashbacks ensue! Things are going to start picking up soon, and by picking up I mean that I am sadistically going to play with your emotions. Hahaha! **

**Sorry, I don't know why I am in such an evil mood. Hmmm... Review time!**

**Ravenclaw667: I'm glad I nailed his personality! Although there he was only in the last chapter for about three sentences. He is in this one much more, but he is extremely sassy, and I don't know whether I like it or it is too OOC. **

**KTDLover: Yes! Yes! Yes! All of them are stubborn and all of them have a dark background. It's perfect! It's the perfect set up. **

**YeahI'mWeirdAndILoveIt: I just thought it was something Nico would say. I figured he would be kind of hurt. Plus, its not like anyone LIKES having to be protected. He probably felt like they didn't trust him or something. **

**djinfiend: If you are talking about the creepy river gods- yeah, that sent shivers up my spine too. :P And I have way too much fun with Nico's character. **

**Goddes TimTam: Your blessing of doorknobs was wonderful. It's not everyday that I get commended by a Goddess. :P**

**Valiantgirl: Why, thank you!**

**indiiea: Awww! Thank you! I try to keep them in character, but sometimes its difficult. I just go with the flow and hope the story turns out okay. **

**Guest: If it was in the next book, I would be rich. :D**

**Rosemary: I know, right? Nico can get upset for the most ridiculous reasons. **

**Right, so I got a lot of reviews. This actually might be a record! Wow! I should update more often! :) Anyway, enjoy!**

**Chapter Five**

Reyna woke up to a cold piece of cloth, damp on her forehead. She felt a sliver of water tickle her temple as it made its way down her face. Blinking, Reyna took in her surroundings. All she could remember was Nico and the river Gods and an intense sensitivity in her hand.

At that thought, a sharp streak of pain shot up her arm, causing Reyna to gasp before it settled into a persistent, throbbing ache.

"Hey, you okay?" She heard a light male voice say. "Here, have some more ambrosia, Hedge is getting some Navajo tea."

Navajo tea? Reyna stopped struggling to sit up and allowed the taste of jellybeans to fill her mouth before she fell asleep.

…

_"What do you think that is?" Hylla asked, pointing to a bright yellow flower. Eight year old Reyna furrowed her brows and answered hesitantly, "A sunflower?"_

_"No, this is called Navajo tea. It gets rid of infections." Hylla said with a smooth voice as she leaned down to be Reyna's height [Reyna was around four foot and short for her age]._

_"But that's not tea!" Reyna said accusingly. "It's a flower!" _

_"Yes, but it can be made into tea."Reyna furrowed her brows even deeper. Sighing, Hylla sat down in the dirt and brought Reyna to her lap. "So, what you do is you take the flowers and pluck off all the petals."_

_"But that's bad for them!"Reyna gasped, covering her mouth dramatically with her hands. _

_"It's good for us." Hylla pointed out. "Remember, it gets rid of infections?"_

_"I would never hurt anybody, no matter what." Reyna stated. "Even if I did get infections."_

_Hylla paused for a moment, unsure whether she should continue with the topic. She decided she would with an easy shrug. "Listen Rey, hurt comes with comfort and pain comes with love. For example, if you eat too many jellybeans, what happens?" _

_"I'm happy?" Reyna said. _

_Hylla laughed, "Yes, for a while, but then you get a stomach ache or a tooth ache. Now what about Chryssa, you know her." _

_"She's pretty!" Reyna exclaimed, bouncy a little at the name. With her high cheekbones and pink lips, she was easily the prettiest girl on Circe's Island._

_"Yes, she does. But you know what she does for it? She plucks her eyebrows and eats only vegetables."_

_"Eww…" Reyna scrunched her nose. She hated vegetables. _

_"But she's pretty because of it. The pain is a good thing, right?"_

_"I guess…" Reyna sighed, "Do I have to eat vegetables to be as pretty as Chryssa?"_

_"No Rey, you are the prettiest little girl I know. Although vegetables wouldn't hurt." Hylla pinched her cheeks and kissed the top of her head. Reyna rolled her eyes but was smiling all the same. _

_"Good. Now what were we talking about?" Hylla tapped her chin, "Oh yes! So you wash the flower petals and cut them in itty bitty pieces. Then you put it in boiling water and strain it. That is how you get tea."_

_"It still doesn't look like a tea. I should give it another name!" Reyna said. _

_"It has another name too." Hylla said as a side thought. Reyna's eyebrows went up, "Thelesperma."_

_"Thelesperma? That doesn't sound like a yellow flower either!" Reyna exclaimed. She paused and regarded the plant before stating, "I'm going to call it 'The Yellow Fighter', because it fights infections. Thelesperma just sounds weird." Scrunching her nose Reyna stood up and looked over the plants before saying, "Last one to the beach has an infection without Thelesperma!"_

_As she shot through the grass, Hylla stood up, and chased after her, laughing as she went. _

…

"I applied the tea and wrapped her hand. She should be fine now."

"What am I supposed to do now?"

"Nothing cupcake, take a nap and take it easy. We won't leave until tomorrow morning. Hopefully she'll be better then."

"But I don't want to sleep."

"Kid, look, you've done a lot. You must be drained. Go to sleep."

"No."

"Fine, whatever, it's not like I'm supposed to protect you or anything. Look, if you don't want to sleep, I'm going to go and get some water."

"Sure, whatever."

"Watch over her, okay?"

"Yup."

"I mean it."

"Got it."

"If anything happens to her—"

"You'll kill me? You'll make my life a living hell? Sorry to burst your bubble, but it already is."

"Hey cupcake, there's no need to be snappy. I'm just worried."

"I know, I know. Sorry."

"It's okay. I'll be right back."

"Kay."

…

"Stupid satyr left an hour ago and hasn't come back." Reyna knitted her eyebrows as the upset mumbled reached her ears. Was that Nico? Why was Nico in her room? Suddenly a bolt of pain pounded in her temple and her eyes flew open. Blinking slowly she realized that she was in a makeshift camp at the edge of a large crater. Quickly, memories rushed back into her mind.

Water gods. Her hand. Skeletons. Hedge, Nico and her racing back to their camp space. Hedge shaking her as her breaths became shallow. Nico grabbing her hand and shadow traveling. Blackness. Never waking up.

Shaking her head of these thoughts, Reyna leaned onto her good elbow and managed to sit up. Stars danced in her vision but she refused to lie back down. She wasn't helpless. She was Praetor. Breathing deeply, she surveyed the area and saw Nico sitting a few feet away from her with his back to her. Straightening her back, she stroked her half undone braid out of her face and leaned down to pick up her dagger. Once she held the weapon in her hand, she felt comfortable enough. Mustering whatever strength she had left she called out to Nico.

"Nico?" She said, wincing at how pathetic her voice sounded. Nico quickly turned around and his eyes widened at her.

"How are you—what are you-? Holy Hades woman! I turn away for a minute and you're ready to lead a freaking army!" He said, completely aghast, eying the dagger Reyna was attempting to slip into her belt.

"Well, you can't expect me to just lay here. What happened?" Reyna said, her voice hoarse.

Nico leaned for a bottle, "Here, drink this." He tossed it to Reyna before realizing that she was partially handicapped. With her good arm, Reyna leaned out and caught the bottle, casually uncapping it with her teeth and gulping down as much as she could.

"Ummm… well…" Nico stammered, slightly taken aback by her, well, Praetorness, "We shadow traveled but you didn't wake up after getting here. We were kind of scared that maybe the shadow traveling made your injury worse or something. It just turns out that you lost a lot of blood."

Bringing her injured hand to her nose, Reyna sniffed before saying, "You didn't just wrap this."

"Well, no. Hedge did some voodoo tree magic stuff and put some tea on it for infections or something."

"Navajo tea?" Reyna whispered, bringing her hand to her nose again and inhaling the familiar scent. "Where did he get it from?"

"He just had some in his backpack." Nico shrugged.

"Oh." Reyna said, gazing away. Nico looked at her for a moment and decided that the conversation was over, looking down to fumble with a strand of string in his hands.

A sudden wind blew strands of Reyna's long black hair into her face and she spit it out. Using her good hand she grabbed her hair over one shoulder and put rubber band over her wrist. Then, slowly, she began to unravel whatever was left of her braid. Taking her wrapped hand, she kept all her hair in place and attempted to make three sections with her other hand. Just as she would tuck one strand over, the other would fly off and Reyna would grind her teeth in frustration.

After several attempts, Reyna gave up on making a braid and haphazardly tied what she could into a low ponytail. It didn't help much, but at least the bulk of her hair was out of her face.

Reyna hated this. She couldn't even braid her hair! She was useless.

She was useless.

"How am I supposed to protect you for the rest of the trip?" Reyna asked suddenly.

"What?" Nico asked intelligently.

"I came along so that I could protect you while you rest, but now I can't." Reyna explained, her heart beginning to beat faster. "If something were to attack us right now, we won't be able to bring the statue back to the _Graecus _camp." Hiccupping because of the stress, Reyna groaned, covering her face with her good hand.

"There, there." Nico said awkwardly, leaning over to pat her knee. Peering through her fingers, Reyna looked at Nico with a questioning look.

Raising his hands in defeat, Nico leaned back. "Look, I'm not a very positive person. We are all going to die at some point and probably be made into undergarments for my father. And I'm not one to console others. But don't worry. If there is anything I am positive about, it's your ability to get us to New York."

"Why? Why are you so confident about that?" Reyna asked, rising disbelief evident in her voice.

"Because… you are the Praetor?" Nico said as if he might be wrong.

"Just because I am the Praetor doesn't mean I'm perfect." Reyna shouted. Realizing what she had done, she recoiled and quietly spoke into her hand. "Everyone thinks I'm perfect. They expect the very best from me. And I try! I really do! But sometimes it's too much. Sometimes, I can't handle it. I can't handle the stress."

A silence ensued and Reyna was sure that the son of Hades would ridicule her. If she couldn't handle the stress, why bother becoming Praetor? To make matters worse, she had just unveiled a fear that had been bubbling in her stomach for a while, to this boy no less!

But a few moments later, she heard Nico's soft voice, "I don't think you will get us there because you are perfect. No one is. But I _am_ confident in your ability to strategize and your ability to lead—that's why you are Praetor."

Reyna looked at Nico with her mouth slightly ajar. That was not the response she was expecting to hear. Nico shrugged easily, "Some have it in their fate to succeed. I know that you will."

"Thank you." Reyna said, feeling calmer and less stressed. Someone didn't expect her to be perfect. Sure it was an anti-social boy she didn't really know, but it was someone nonetheless.

"No problem." He said, not meeting her eyes. "No one deserves to feel that way. I—I knew someone who did. She didn't want to be perfect, she didn't want the responsibilities but—well, she was strong like you, and brave. She was independent and she loved her family. I," He paused a moment, "I respected her, people respected her and people respect you."

Nico cleared his throat and excused himself, turning away from Reyna. Startled, Reyna didn't know how to react but to idly wonder until the satyr returned, who exactly this girl was and why she had been spoken about in the past tense.


	6. Greenland

**I know, I know, I take forever to update. But life. It just happens so fast and sometimes I can't figure out what the heck is going on. But your reviews keep reminding me to update, so keep them coming! Enjoy this chapter and I hope that you enjoy the flashback. It was a ton of fun to do research on. **

**Ravenclaw667: This time I made Nico a bit lighter, because I can't stand a sad Nico [even though its part of his character]. And yes, it is Bianca. :)**

**KTDLover: Aww thanks! Your comments make my day. I know this one is also late, but Nico is pretty hard to write. **

**yuMeNami: I think he does it to himself. But hey, to each his own. **

**Rosemary: Haha! That was actually something that I had done before, and I was like. That's awkward. And totally a Nico-like thing to do. :P**

**Dee3: I live for feels. I just love writing stuff that hurts. **

**teamleo4: I saw your comment a bit late... which is why I didn't update this chapter sooner. I try to keep Nico and Reyna in character as much as possible, although sometimes I make them break character just because the story is moving in that direction. You will see that in this chapter. Sure Nico is a bit happier, but it's because he's making a friend. You know? **

**djinfiend: Yeah it's Bianca! Man, she is such a great character. I have to write a story about her too. **

**Val9906: It's the reason I wrote this story. When I can't find a good story to read on a subject, or I want a story told a different way, I just write it myself. It's much more satisfying. **

**Anyway, that's it for the reviews! I hope you had a great holiday and will have a wonderful New Year!**

**Chapter Six**

Nico stared off into the direction Hedge had gone trotting off in. He could still see the satyr's bouncing figure as it slowly shrank into the barren land they had just landed in.

It was then that it occurred to him that the satyr was acting a little suspiciously. Hedge had said that he was going to get "water", and Nico had let him go without questioning him. Mainly because Nico didn't like to argue. In fact, he didn't like to hold a conversation. But also because Hedge kept calling him a "cupcake". Nico realized that it was just part of Hedge's vernacular, but he couldn't shake how upset he felt when he heard that word. He wasn't a cupcake. Cupcakes were sweet and soft and pretty and delicate and liked by everyone while Nico was…none of the above.

In any case, Nico had let him go. But as he looked around, he realized how strange Hedge's request was. While the area Nico had landed them in was mostly flat land, with frigid air and littered with small rocks, it wasn't completely barren. Behind him loomed a large glacier. It made no sense to Nico, the idea of glaciers. Slow moving blocks of ice? That was weird. But really, when you are a demigod, what isn't weird?

Right, back to the point. Glaciers are made of ice. It was ICE. Ice meant water. That meant that either Hedge was dumb or he was purposely trying to get away.

"You okay?" Nico turned to see the Praetor of New Rome struggle to sit up from where she had been asleep earlier. To be completely honest, she was a terrible sight. Her purple toga had been slashed so much that Hedge had used it to wrap her hand and her hair was unruly. Her face was gaunt and she was beginning to look as pale as Nico.

For some reason, Nico found that this upset him. Why would he care if Reyna didn't look well? No answer came to mind as Nico found himself replying, "I was just thinking about Coach."

He replied? He replied! Nico wanted hit his face in embarrassment. Nico di Angelo did not hold conversations with people. Never. Because when you talk to people you start getting feelings, and when you feel it hurts. A lot.

"What about him?" Reyna said, finally sitting up straight. She blew a piece of her hair out of her face as she searched for the canteen.

"He keeps leaving, 'To get water'." What? No. Stop talking Nico. Stop it. Why was he talking to Reyna? Because he had forgotten how nice it was to just be himself. To speak without barriers. To not be judged.

"You know what? I noticed that too. At first I found it suspicious, but now…" Reyna trailed off, obviously remembering something. After a few moments Nico prompted her, "Now…?"

"What? Right, sorry. Now I don't think it's something we should worry about." She was so confident, Nico realized. And calm.

"Why not?" He asked, curious as to why she thought so.

"Well…" And Reyna accounted for what had happened just before they had been attacked by the river gods. "But he was going to tell me. Whatever it was. I should have asked him afterward but he gets oddly uncomfortable every time I mention the attack. He was pretty upset about what happened."

"He likes you a lot." Nico said, recalling how concerned Hedge was for Reyna's safety.

"Yeah… he's a nice guy. Kind of like my dad."

"Your dad?" Nico asked, strangely intrigued by the fact that Reyna had a father. Everyone knew her mother was the Goddess of war, but father? Nico had never heard anything about him. "What was he like?"

"He… well, he was a strange one. Most people who can see through the mist take care to stay away from the monsters and gods. My father didn't.

…

_Raul ignored them. The monsters he saw as he walked to school. The creatures he saw when he looked out of his window at night. The screams he heard as he played ball with the other orphans on the streets. He had mentioned them once, to a nice America couple that wanted to adopt him. _

_They didn't adopt him. _

_He never spoke about the monsters again. _

_At first, Raul didn't know why others couldn't see the monsters and he could. Then one day he had a dream. It was a strange dream, vivid, almost as if he were actually there. In his dream he saw a man that shared the same black hair and straight nose as him. The man was a member of the church, Raul intuitively knew, but he donned a hooded cloak and held a small bundle in his arms. Running through the small winded streets of the familiar neighborhood, the man stopped in front of the orphanage where Raul had grown up. Quietly, the man placed the bundle, which Raul saw was a baby, on the steps in front of the door. Kissing the baby's cheek, the man put his hands together and said a quick prayer before running back in the direction he came from. _

_The scene changed and the same man was dying. Of an illness, Raul could see. As he laid on his deathbed, a woman, shimmering in the dark room lit only by a candle, caressed his cheek. Her hair was long and straight, her face kind and her eyes sad. She had the same eyes as Raul. _

_It was his mother, Raul was certain of that. But who was she? Why did she glow? The man put out a hand and whispered, "Dea Tacita." _

_Instantly, Raul's mind translated, "Goddess of the dead." _

_"I… I am sorry." The man rasped, aching even as he spoke. "Our son, he—"_

_"You couldn't take care of him, I know. You remained faithful to your duty rather than your blood. This church," She spat, "was more important than our love. Is that what you have to say?"_

_"Querida…" He whispered sadly, "I tried to do what was best for everyone. You couldn't be his madre, I couldn't be his padre. He is in a better place now."_

_The woman's face softened. "I know. We were both at fault. And you love this church, I shouldn't have given you such a burden."_

_"A blessing Tacita." The man said, "A blessing I couldn't keep."_

_"No matter." The woman said, "It is time for you to go. I promise you will go peacefully."_

_"And the boy?"_

_"He will go when he is ready as he wants to." She said. The man nodded and closed his eyes. The woman held his hand and the man's shimmering spirit separated from his body. _

_Raul had woken up from that dream strangely satisfied. In his hand he found a dagger, intricately carved, made of gold. He knew now. His mother had given it to him. _

_After that, his life became considerably difficult. More monsters found him, and he had no choice but to fight back. _

_He was good for someone who hadn't been trained. He was a quick thinker and lithe on his feet. The monsters never had a chance as he swiped his dagger through their bodies, quickly and cleanly. _

_And that was when she first noticed him, or well, he first noticed her. He was fighting a specifically strange monster, large with one eye in the middle. Raul didn't really know what it was or what to do, but he fought anyway, slashing away. But even though he was relatively tall, he wasn't as tall as the beast. He didn't think he would make it. He prayed quickly to his mother, "Mama, I don't want to die. Please send help." _

_Immediately a glow flashed behind him, and he saw a woman about his age with long dark hair braided down her back. She stood tall and proud and wore a strange dress that confused Raul a bit. He stared in awe as she pushed him out of the way and fought the monster, bringing it down within 30 seconds. _

_Turning, she raised an eyebrow. "What are you looking at?"_

_Raul, clever as always, replied, "A goddess."_

…

"So… what you're trying to tell me is that your father was a demigod too?" Nico asked, clearly confused by the story Reyna had just told.

"Yup." Reyna said, distracted by the strands of hair that hung over her face.

"That means you are actually, what? Three quarters god? Is that even possible?" Nico continued, intrigued by the story.

"I suppose." Reyna replied calmly, throwing her hair over her should and patting it down in attempt to tame its wildness.

"Dea Tacita…" Nico scratched his chin thoughtfully, "She takes many forms. She's actually a minor goddess."

"Which is why my father survived for as long as he did without any help," Reyna pointed out, still focused on her hair.

"Wow." Nico said, leaning back. "You are a strange combination. War and death? That's even worse than—" Then what? Nico thought to himself. Then himself? Son of death, riches and the underworld. Reyna was a daughter of death and war. Yet she led the camps. She was strong. People liked her. Why? They really weren't that different. Were they?

Nico's tornado of thoughts came to a sudden stop when he heard Reyna cry out. Blinking back to reality, he found Reyna's face contorted with irritation, attempting to claw off the make-shift cast from her hand.

"Woah, woah. What are you doing?" Nico asked.

"My hair! My HAIR! It's all over the place! And I can't braid it because of this _stupid _cast. Let me just take it off. I'll braid my hair and Hedge can put it back on when he comes back.

Nico's mouth twitched. Reyna was upset because of her hair?

Reyna noticed the small grin making its way onto Nico's face. "Don't you dare! You don't understand how _important _this is!" When the wind picked up and blew her hair across her face, Reyna growled with frustration.

The sound was so improper that Nico couldn't help but laugh. Almost as soon as it came out, Nico covered his mouth to muffle it. He hated his laugh. It was more of a cackle. He thought it sounded like a mix between the Wicked Witch of the West and a pig, because he snorted when he laughed really hard.

"Did you just…?" Reyna looked up in astonishment and smiled, "… you laughed. That's so weird"

Nico looked down, his cheeks burning. Here it comes. Here comes the taunt. "What's weird? That I snort? Well, yeah. I do. Get over it." He huffed and turned away slightly. To his amazement Reyna started laughing. Loudly. Nico didn't think he had ever heard a laugh worse than his, but Reyna's was so _strange_. She laughed breathing in, snorting after a breathless guffaws.

For a few seconds, Nico's mouth hung open in shock, but the laugh was so funny, so contagious, that he joined in on the fun, laughing without holding back.

Half an hour later, Hedge trotted back to find two demigods making strange noises and hugging their stomachs on the ground.

It had been a while since Hedge had practiced the Heimlich maneuver, but he had to save the two children from choking and dying, right?


	7. Happy Valley, Goose Bay

**Right. So this chapter is late, I know. Extremely late. But don't worry! This chapter is also, extremely long and has extra feels in it. If I wasn't naming each chapter with the location, I would name this chapter, "The Pain that comes with Hair". Haha. But in all seriousness, happy new years! Enjoy this chapter! And review!**

**Speaking of reviews...**

** : I think they should too! Perhaps they will. Hopefully. If Uncle Rick wishes it. :P**

**Rosemary1234: It would be a three quarters god and a demi god! Haha. I'll try putting more adorable Nico, but I'm afraid it's going to become very angsty from here on out. Sorry. :S**

**yuMeNami: It was what I thought would happen. It is probably the farthest thing from the truth, but I used some creative license since we know almost nothing about Reyna's background. **

**djinfiend: It is actually from Roman Mythology. She is a super minor goddess, the Wikipedia page had almost nothing on Dea Tacita. But she is a goddess of the dead and she is very much real [in Mythology]. **

**teamleo4: Haha! There will be a second installment for Raoul's tale, but its a bit different from what you had in mind. Not to worry, it will come in one of the following chapters. :D**

**valiantgirl: Thank you! Being able to make people laugh through my writing has been a goal since FOREVER! So, thanks for that!**

**Guest: Thank you! **

**Chapter Seven**

Their next camp was amidst tall lanky trees. To the north they could hear the soft sound of water lapping against the shore and to the south, they could hear the muffled sounds of cars honking and people laughing.

The Athena Parthenon, for the first time their entire trip, stood upright, reaching the height of the tallest trees. The mortals, if any happened upon them, would probably think it was a tree too.

How Nico had done it, Reyna couldn't figure out. At the beginning of the trip, he could barely stand after shadow travelling, much less keep a giant statue standing. That wasn't the only thing that had changed about him, Reyna mused. He had a different air. After laughing together for some time at their last location, they spoke more openly to one another.

Reyna was hesitant at first. He was a son of Pluto—sorry, Hades. He couldn't be trusted. Plus, he was a G_raecus_. She had forgiven him for lying to her earlier, but that rift wasn't completely bonded. Not yet.

"'Kay Cupcakes, what would you like for lunch. Berries or soda cans?" Hedge said gruffly, shaking Reyna out of her thoughts. Reyna sat on the ground with her legs crossed, rubbing her forearms, Nico sitting to her right. They hadn't made a fire to avoid attracting any humans. It was the closest to a city they had landed near for a while.

"Do the soda cans still have soda in them?" Nico asked attempting a joke, but his voice was clipped and monotone. Reyna was almost startled to hear him speak that way, but she quickly remembered their conversation yesterday. He still wondered where Hedge disappeared to all the time. He didn't trust him.

Looking offended, Hedge replied, "Of course! I'm not a monster."

Reyna quickly covered a snort, as she saw his shagging legs and hooves, but it wasn't quick enough to go unnoticed.

"What are you laughin' at?" Hedge asked.

"I wasn't laughing." Reyna said her face completely straight. "I just sneezed." She said smoothly, hoping her lie wouldn't be detected.

"Sneezed?" Nico said innocently, although Reyna could hear the sneaking grin in his voice. "I have the worst allergies known to mankind and I don't have the urge to sneeze."

"Stop exaggerating Son of Pluto," Reyna said using her best Praetor voice, "You do not have 'the worst allergies known to mankind'."

"You'd be surprised at how much the air has changed in the past couple decades." Nico bantered back.

"Very true! And…" Hedge made a point at sniffing the air, "Nope. Not so much as a drop of pollen."

Reyna narrowed her eyes at the two, she would not be defeated. "It's my hair. It tickled my nose."

"Please. You're using your fur as an excuse for everything. It can't be _that_ bad." Hedge said. Just as Reyna was about to protest, he held up a finger. "If I could braid your fur, cupcake, I would. It's just that I'm all hooves and can't handle all that." He gestured to the mop on Reyna's head. No matter how hard she had tried to pat it down, her hair was just so thick and long, it refused to be tamed.

"Maybe Mister 'Raise the dead' can." After a moment of thought, he added, "I bet my bat he can." Hedge laughed and looked at Nico waiting for him to immediately protest. However, Nico just sat there with an uncomfortable look on his face that Reyna immediately recognized.

"Nico." She ordered. "Look me in the eyes and tell me that you can't braid my hair."

With as much attitude as he could muster, Nico looked over at her and scowled.

"Nico…" She warned.

Sighing he murmured, "I know how to braid hair."

"When? How? What?" Reyna demanded, sitting up straight.

"My sister." He mumbled inaudibly. The thought crossed Reyna's mind that she had never seen Hazel with braided hair, but she waved it off. She had more important things to do.

Reyna stood up and sat in front of him. "Braid. My. Hair. Now."

_…_

_"Prosso provare?" _

_Can I try?_

_The small boy fit his chin on his mother shoulder and watched her nimble fingers lift and twist Bianca's hair. _

_"Of course, come." His mother said. She stopped braiding and motioned for him to sit in her lap. Smiling he fit himself between his mother's arms and held Bianca's hair just as his mother had been holding it. _

_"Nico, don't pull too hard." Bianca said, her voice a little fearful. Nico made a sound of acknowledgement and allowed his mother to lift his hands. _

_As he got the hang of it, his mother let go. _

_"Does it hurt?" Nico asked Bianca, reveling in the fact that he was actually braiding. _

_Bianca let out a laugh, "No Nico, it doesn't hurt."_

_As he tied the last elastic about her hair, she stood up and looked at her hair in the mirror. "It's beautiful. Mamma, from now on, Nico will braid my hair!"_

_"Certo Tesoro." Of course sweetheart. Their mother smiled and ruffled Nico's hair, pulling him and Bianca into a hug. _

_…_

"Nico! Stop pulling so hard." Reyna said, wincing as Nico took another strand of her hair.

"I am not pulling hard, you are just sensitive." Nico replied, continuing with the braid. As he took another strand of hair, Reyna made another sound of pain.

"I don't think that is how it's supposed to feel." Hedge commented as he glanced at Reyna's contorted face. For a second, Nico's fingers stopped working, but just as quickly he finished the braid.

Nico tied the elastic around the end of Reyna's hair and watched as she felt the intertwined rivulets of hair.

"That's much better." Reyna said, swinging her hair over her shoulder after aptly deciding that the braid was adequate. "Thanks Nico." Reyna smiled at him, but that smile made Nico's heart hurt.

All he could imagine was the pain Bianca felt every single day when he braided her hair.

_…_

_"Please Clarisse? Please, please, pleeeaaasseee?"_

_Clarisse stormed through the aisles and found Hedge wrestling with several soda cans in one hand and bags of chips in the other. "Hedge!" She shouted, causing the middle-aged satyr to let go of the soda and chips and take out a bat, swinging it wildly. _

_"What happened Clarisse? Where is it? What is it? What do I kill?" _

_"Oliver." Clarisse said, crossing her arms and pouting. _

_"What happened to him?" Gleeson said, his eyebrows furrowed with worry. _

_"He wants to braid my hair!" Clarisse said exasperatedly, throwing her hands in the air. "Why would he want to do something like that? Why?"_

_"Because your hair is beautiful!" The young blond said, jumping out from behind Hedge. "The highlights in your hair would be more prominent and your cheekbones would look gorgeous and it would accentuate your jaw line and bring out the fury in your eyes?" Oliver squeaked the last part out as Clarisse stared him down. _

_Rolling his eyes, the satyr bent down so he was in level with the two children, "Clarisse, let Oliver make your fur."_

_"No way! I would rather strangle a—" Clarisse protested_

_"Did you know that the best female Greek warriors always kept their fur in braids? It helps keep you focused." Hedge said, lying through his teeth. _

_"Really…?" Clarisse said, frowning slightly. Seeing that she wasn't convinced, Hedge continued, making things up off the top of his head. _

_"It also was a symbol of ranks in Greek military. Only savages keep their fur undone." Hedge gave a meaningful look to Oliver. _

_Quickly, Oliver nodded furiously, "I remember reading about that somewhere." _

_Huffing, Clarisse relented. "Fine."_

_Oliver smiled wide and hugged Clarisse as she made a strangled noise. But for all the moaning and groaning was worth, she didn't push him off. She wouldn't admit it out loud, but the three of them knew that Oliver and Clarisse were best friends. _

_When Oliver was satisfied with the hug, he let go, but kept a hold of her shoulders. "What about a facial? Your pores are huge."_

_…_

"...and that's how I got past Hercules." Reyna finished, leaning back into the bark of a tree. Hedge had tears streaking down his face after laughing so hard and Nico's expression was priceless. Reyna was glad, for a moment, to have gotten Nico's mind off of... whatever he had been thinking about.

"Well, that was riveting. Really. But I got to go." Hedge said, effectively excusing himself from the conversation that had ensued after Nico had finished Reyna's hair. Reyna glanced over at Nico who narrowed his eyes at the faun. Before he could say anything, Reyna spoke up.

"Where exactly are you going?"

"To get…water?" The faun said, suddenly very nervous.

"We have enough." She said, gesturing to his backpack.

"You can't ever have too much water." He said, backing away slowly.

Closing her eyes, Reyna rubbed her forehead. "Coach, just tell us."

Glancing over at Nico and then back at Reyna, he sighed and dropped his backpack. "Fine. I'll tell you."

Nico leaned forward as Gleason fumbled with his thumbs.

"I… well you see cupcakes, I'm going to be a father." The satyr looked around nervously as Nico and Reyna just stared at him in shock.

Reyna was the first to regain her senses. "When did this happen? Why didn't you tell us?"

"Before we left Camp Half Blood… and that's why I'm going back home. So I can be there when he... or she... is born. I keep Iris messaging my wife to check up on how she's doing."

"But, but…" Reyna sputtered.

"And I didn't tell you kids because no one ever asked." Hedge slowly picked his backpack up again. "Can I go now?"

Reyna nodded and looked over at Nico.

Nico, this entire time, had been staring at the satyr, his mouth agape. As Hedge left, Nico blinked and managed, "He's going to be the worst Papa-satyr. Ever."

…

_Clarisse tossed and turned in her bed. Finally, unable to take it anymore, she got up and left the Ares Cabin. _

_She couldn't sleep. Every time she closed her eyes she remembered a certain son of Aphrodite in his torn sneakers and plaid shirt. His dark rectangular glasses covered his dark eyes. Eyes too dark for his golden hair and playful smile. _

_As she walked through the forest, she made sure to be as quiet as possible as she whispered, "Hedge? Hedge?" _

_After a few minutes, the sleepy satyr stumbled out of the woods and grinned as he saw the daughter of Ares. "Hey cupcake, what's up?"_

_"I wanted to speak to you before you go tomorrow." She sighed and sat down near the stump of a tree. "Chris is still missing and I know a war is going to start. Ever since Jackson and Chase came back…"_

_"Kiddo, I'm not going to lie to you. A war is coming, but you're a daughter of Ares. That's not the reason you are upset." Hedge said, sitting down next to her. _

_Clarisse looked away from the satyr and chuckled to herself. He knew her too well. Quickly her grin turned into a somber expression. _

_"I remember him. Oliver. I can't sleep because he's always there with his stupid smile. And during the day I hear his voice. 'Tie your hair Clarisse' or 'it's a fork, not a weapon' or 'Don't be a bully—'" Clarisse's voice cracked. _

_Sniffing, she wiped her eyes with the palm of her hand. "It's worse now. He haunts me all the time."_

_Hedge sighed and put an arm around Clarisse. "Look kid, I miss him too. I hate myself for not being able to save him—"_

_"It wasn't your fault."_

_"—and the Council has punished me for that. But whenever I remember him, I don't feel upset. I don't feel like he's angry with me or haunting my dreams. I feel like a protector. I smile because I remember his smile. I laugh because I remember you two laughing together. You were inseparable, the two of you. _

_And you still are. He's with you in spirit. He won't leave until he finishes his business."_

_"I'll ask Selena to braid my hair for me tomorrow; maybe then he'll go to Elysium."_

_"I was thinking more along the lines of you finally being happy instead of angry with the world, but that's another thing I'm sure he would enjoy."_

_Smiling, Clarisse returned Hedge's half hug and stood up. "Thanks Hedge, you always know what to say."_

_"Yeah, yeah." The satyr said waving it off. _

_"No really. One day, when you become a father, I'll be there." She said smiling, "Because you are going to be the best Papa-satyr. Ever."_


End file.
